Crescent’s McKinney & Olive Earns ULI Award
Crescent Real Estate continues to change Uptown Dallas with the innovative, award-winning McKinney & Olive office and retail structure
DALLAS (October 6, 2017) – McKinney & Olive, Crescent Real Estate LLC’s (Crescent) newest office building in Uptown Dallas, earned the Urban Land Institute North Texas award for innovation at the ULI impact awards dinner earlier this week. The ULI Innovation Award recognizes originality and creativity in design, placemaking, green techniques and innovative land use or community planning, as well as other development features.
McKinney & Olive was recognized for its strikingly original 20-story mixed-use office and retail structure designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli and his firm Pelli Clarke Pelli. The 536,000-square-foot McKinney & Olive is Pelli’s first design in Dallas and first commercial building in Dallas designed by an internationally acclaimed architect since the 1980s.
Pelli gave Uptown Dallas’ tallest building a distinctive look which he has referred to as a “sexy design.” Its curved design featuring a sheer glass façade, a roof-top terrace and one-acre outdoor piazza provides a creative space for office customers and connects McKinney & Olive with the community as an outdoor space to enjoy in pedestrian-friendly Uptown Dallas.
“It is very exciting to have created the newest addition to Uptown, have given shape to Crescent’s vision, and seen this uniquely dynamic form take its place on the skyline of Dallas,” said Gregg Jones, design principal at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.
“It is equally as exciting to see just how successful McKinney & Olive has been at the pedestrian level – so quickly and warmly embraced by the neighborhood,” added Jones.
One acre of the three-acre building site was reserved as a piazza with green space to be enjoyed by office customers and the community. The Office of James Burnett designed the piazza with open space, tables and park benches and water features to attract the community to McKinney & Olive.
“Crescent’s development and design team started McKinney & Olive with a goal of setting a new standard for workplace design in Texas,” said Joseph Pitchford, Crescent’s managing director who managed the McKinney & Olive project from inception. “Every major decision was measured against that goal.”
“The design of McKinney & Olive has transformed expectations - reset the bar and redefined the new standards for Class A office space in Dallas,” added Jones.
Jones and Pitchford find the ULI award recognition fulfilling.
“It is especially gratifying to have the achievements of McKinney & Olive recognized by one of the most internationally preeminent, influential and strongest advocates for quality in the built environment today, the Urban Land Institute,” stated Jones.
“The fact that ULI recognized both the building’s outstanding design and its strong market acceptance with the 2017 Innovation Award confirms that our efforts were successful,” said Pitchford. “Of course, the ultimate test is our customers — and they love the building too.”
McKinney & Olive’s design and location has attracted high-profile companies into the office space, which is 96 percent leased. Some of the companies in McKinney & Olive include Gardere Wynne Sewell; Sidley Austin; McKinsey & Company; MHT MidSpan, LP; Saatchi & Saatchi and CrossFirst Bank.
Pelli’s design dedicated 50,000 square feet of the McKinney & Olive ground floor to retail and restaurants. Some of the well-known brands for dining options at McKinney & Olive include flagship restaurant Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Roti Modern Mediterranean, and, coming soon, Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen. Both Roti Modern Mediterranean and Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen are making their debut in the Dallas market. Already included in this unique offering of restaurants is Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a new, high-end concept that is the first of its kind in Texas and one of only a handful in the world.
Located on a 3.1-acre site at McKinney Avenue and Olive Street, Crescent’s McKinney & Olive is juxtaposed amid the grandeur of neighboring icons Ritz-Carlton and The Crescent® and just blocks from the Dallas Arts District and Klyde Warren Park. Crescent has been recognized 10 times with the prestigious National Commercial Real Estate Customer Service Award for Excellence, or the “A List” Award, from CEL & Associates, Inc.
For more information, visit mckinneyandolive.com
ABOUT CRESCENT
Crescent Real Estate LLC (Crescent) is a real estate operating company and investment advisor founded by its Chairman, John C. Goff, with assets under management and investment capacity of more than $4 billion. Through the recently established GP Invitation Fund I, Crescent will acquire, develop and operate all real estate asset classes alongside institutional investors and high net worth clients. Crescent's portfolio consists of 7,450 units of multifamily properties; 2.3 million square feet of creative office space; 610,000 square feet of Class A office properties in Colorado and Texas; The Hotel Crescent Court; The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; a newly developed Class AA office building, McKinney & Olive in Dallas; and the wellness lifestyle leader, Canyon Ranch®. For more information visit crescent.com.